1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to information handling systems, and more specifically, to draining residual power from voltage planes in the information handling systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes, thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems, e.g., computer, personal computer workstation, portable computer, computer server, print server, network router, network hub, network switch, storage area network disk array, RAID disk system and telecommunications switch.
As the computing power of information handling systems increase, a corresponding increase in power is required to operated these information handling systems. Typically, power supplies of the information handling systems have large amounts of storage capacitance to provide stable voltages during operation thereof. The energy stored the capacitance of the information handling system must be drained away in order to allow safe interaction with the hardware of the information handling systems for maintenance, repair, testing, adjustment, upgrading, etc. Heretofore, resistors were connected across the storage capacitance to bleed off the voltage of the energy stored therein. These resistors served no useful purpose except as a safety device to drain the voltage charge. The resistors increased power usage of the equipment during operation thereof and added to the equipment heat load that required additional cooling. Economics and government regulations require that system power be reduced to the minimum necessary for proper operation. Thus, during operation of the information handling equipment, having parasitic power drains from voltage bleeder resistors connected across the power supply storage capacitance is no longer tolerable.
Therefore, what is needed is a solution for eliminating the parasitic power drains caused by bleeder resistors across power supply storage capacitance, and to insure that energy stored in the storage capacitance is safely and quickly drained when the equipment of the information handling system is shutdown for service, adjustment or replacement.